Historical Background

Legendarily, the word Tagaytay came from “TAGA” meaning to cut and “ITAY” which means father. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar chase when the animal they were pursuing suddenly turned and attacked them. Fearing for his father’s safety as a boar violently charged the old man, the son cried out “TAGA, ITAY!” which means “cut him down, father!” The son’s exhortation and shouts reverberated in the valleys of the ridge and were heard by the residents, wood gatherers, hunters and kaingeros in the forest. Thus the shout and the words “Taga, Itay” became the subject of conversation among the people in the countryside for several days. In time, the place from where the shouts came began to be known as the beautiful southern city of Tagaytay.

During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Tagaytay became a place of refuge and hideaway for revolutionaries from the nearby provinces of Batangas and Laguna and other neighboring towns of Masilao (now Amadeo), Malabon Frande (now Gen. Trias), Silang, Dasmariñas, Mendez and Indang. Its central location amidst these towns and provinces, the wide stretches of cogon offered a ready sanctuary and haven from pursuit of the Katipuneros. As a passageway for the revolutionary activities in the said provinces, the natives and the revolutionaries described movement to and from the towns via Tagaytay with the word “MANANAGAYTAY,” which means traversing the ridges of Tagaytay.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 11th Airborne Division of Lieutenants General William Krugers 8th Army airdropped military supplies and personnel on the Tagaytay ridge, prior to the Liberation of Manila from the Japanese on February 3, 1945.

On June 21, 1938, Tagaytay became a chartered city with the passage and signing by the late President Manuel L. Quezon of Commonwealth Act No. 338, a bill authored by Rep. Justiniano S. Montano of Cavite.

Today, the City of Tagaytay is identified as one of the priority areas for tourism development of the Department of Tourism. Likewise, the city has been identified in the CALABARZON as a tourist center.

Geographical Location

Tagaytay City is located in the Province of Cavite, island of Luzon. It is approximately 56 kilometers south of Manila, with a total land area of 6,500 hectares, which represents about 5.14% of the total land area of Cavite. It lies within 120°56’ latitude and 14°16’ longitude and overlooks Manila Bay on the north, Taal Volcano and Taal Lake on the south and Laguna de Bay on the East.

​The city is linked by the national highway to the Metropolitan Manila Area and to the Province of Batangas. It is also connected by the roads to the adjoining municipalities of Amadeo, Mendez, Indang, Siland and Alfonsi in Cavite towards the northwest, to the municipalities of Calamba and Sta. Rosa in Laguna in the northeast and to the town of Talisay in Batangas in the south.